Babel Fish - The Oddest Thing In The Universe - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - BBC

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open-source-ux · 2022-04 · Recommendation

I think futuristic computer UIs in TV and films before computer graphics would make for a fascinating topic. For example, the computer UI in the BBC TV series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy deserves a mention. The low-budget series was broadcast in 1981 - a time when computer graphics were limited and not widespread in TV and film. All the "computer graphics" were hand animated to simulate a computer display. The "computer" graphics still stands up brilliantly more than 40 years later: A clip: [VIDEO]

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open-source-ux · 2020-03 · Recommendation

In the 1981 BBC TV series of the 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' , the animated sequences simulated the look of a computer display but weren't actually computer generated. They were drawn on sheets of acetate as traditional 2D animators had done for decades. The animation is one of the most memorable aspects of the TV series and, despite being almost 40 years old, still holds up really well: [VIDEO]

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kristianp · 2025-03 · Reference

The tv series was my introduction to Hitchhiker's. I loved the presentation of the guide entries. E.g. the babelfish at 2m5s: [VIDEO]

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